Handmaids Tale Toronto

Handmaids spotted filming at Toronto City Hall

The handmaids are finally back, Praise be!

Not on TV just yet (sadly), but out around the City of Toronto shooting the next season of Hulu's Emmy-winning, Margaret Atwood-inspired, futuristic dystopian hit sci-fi series.

That's right, Offred and the gang are at Nathan Phillips Square right now.

What does it mean? Where are they now? Did Canada fall to the violent and sexist regime of Gilead? Hard to say, as the show is now "beyond the book" as they say. So, let's all look at photos and speculate in our own heads without context.

Season 3 of The Handmaid's Tale is set to premier on June 5, but filming has been well underway since at least October of 2018.

Only days ago, dozens of actors wearing telltale red handmaid cloaks and white "wings" were spotted in Washington, D.C. surrounded by camera crews.

Stars Elizabeth Moss (Offred), Yvonne Strahovski (Serena) and Joseph Fiennes (Commander Waterford) were reportedly seen on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, if you weren't already convinced of the parallels being drawn in the show between Gilead and modern U.S. politics.

This morning, a large group of handmaids, "eyes" and film crews were spotted outside another, equally impressive North American landmark (lol): Toronto City Hall.

City of Toronto Chief Communications Officer Brad Ross shared a photo from the scene around 7 a.m. with the caption "No sign of the commander."

"Near City Hall today? Don’t be concerned if you hear or see anything unusual," reads a message from the city's official Twitter feed sent around 6:30 a.m. "A production crew is on site filming."

Are. They. Ever.

This isn't the first time we've seen The Handmaid's Tale shooting in the 6ix, of course. Toronto is, after all, the birthplace and home of the story's renowned author.

It also looks just like America but has better tax breaks for filmmakers, so... you know. 

You can see plenty of Toronto landmarks for yourself right now in Seasons 1 and 2 of the powerful streaming series.

Still, the commotion at Nathan Phillips Square right now has proven jarring for some.

"I walked into Nathan Phillips Square, was alarmed to see a guy holding a large automatic rifle in front of a black SUV and then was relieved to see handmaids," wrote one local on Instagram.

"You know, just going to work in a dystopia," joked another.

If all of this doesn't get you even just a little bit hyped for the dark, twisted themes to come in Season 3, check out Hulu's recent Super Bowl commercial for the series here.

Wake up America, morning's over.

Lead photo by

Adrian Phillips


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